KJAKLIVE

I posted this on another site last week and thought that I would share my thoughts here as well. Enjoy the read...

I think I know something that could make a difference for Xbox Live. I propose a new payment plan for the service be put into place. One that is more flexible to customers that don't spend much time playing online multiplayer, but who also want to when they find those few moments in life that allow it.

Currently Microsoft offers a Gold membership for $50/year, $8/1 month and $20/3 months. When you break down the yearly subscription you see that the value is really $4.17/month. So let's just say $5.

Now let's look at the different demographics and the hours they may spend playing online:

* 17 and under --> Play Time: ~30-50 hours per week

* 18-25 --> Play Time: 20-40 hours (depending on where they are in life)

* 26 and older --> Play Time: unpredictable - guestimate that most only get 5-10 hours/week of total play time with online game time limited due to family (can't always play a game that can't be paused) - things come up.

The average age for a gamer is 30 (according to the ESA).

For everyone in the 17-25 age range, $50/year isn't so bad. Even the $8/month card every now and then seems okay...sort of.

But for the "average gamer", the cost doesn't seem justified. Microsoft seems to only be targeting the younger audience with it's online efforts.

In my case, I don't play many online games. Over the 2 years of Gold that I subscribed to, I possibly played an average of 2 hours/month (with some months of a lot of online and some months of none at all).

Why would I want to pay during the months that I am not playing? Also, why would I want to pay $8 to try out an online game only to find out I don't like it?

I propose that a new payment system be devised that is more flexible for people in my situation. So back to the $5/month...

Create the following plans:

* $0.25/day (~$7.75/month) - This will provide motivation for Silver members to try out a Gold membership. You can also get rid of the free month of Gold if you really want.

* $1.50/week (~$6+/month) - providing people the ability to pay a small price for more time online.

Both of these plans would bring in new customers and would also provide Microsoft with profits that they are not earning from members like me who have stopped paying for Gold because we do not play online enough to justify it.

Also consider the fact that we must purchase MS points in the bundles of 500 points (minimum) at a cost of $6.25. So, we can then get 25 days of gaming out of that, but we get to decide when we use those online hours instead of being forced to play within dates set by Microsoft.

As it stands now, I believe Microsoft is ignoring these demographics and potential customers. Adjusting XBL to be more flexible for people with busy on-the-go lives will make it more attractive to those who have not "Jumped In."

Please Microsoft. Help me out. I would enjoy supporting XBL if it fit my needs. Right now its just not working out.

kolobear

• High Definition (1080p) video playback via Blu-Ray
• HD Video Games
• Super Computing using the Cell Broadband Engine
• Wireless Internet
• Remote Play using Playstation Portal (PSP)
• Built-in Hard Drive Storage
• HDMI and Optical Audio connection options
• Playstation Network (PSN) for free online multiplayer
• Playstation Store for downloading HD trailers for games and movies, game demos, downloadable interactive magazine (Qore), Wallpapers & Themes, and much more.

• Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction
• Heavenly Sword
• Uncharted: Drakes Fortune
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma
• Echochrome
• Super Rub-A-Dub (starter pack is free)
• The Darkness
• Battlefield: Bad Company
• Lemmings
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Online Demo

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